#base routine

Step 1: Apply any serum, lotion, primer you need. Your skin should feel comfortable and slightly moist. Not dry or sticky. This is the best state for smooth foundation application.

Be aware that a heavy moisturizer that sits on top of your skin can change the texture of your foundation and stop it from setting. If your foundation is smearing or not lasting well, you might be applying too much underneath it.

  Step 2: Foundation before Concealer

RULE #1: Get your shade correct; try a sample, check it in daylight, and try to leave it on for a while so you know if it oxidises (darkens or changes tone) after awhile. Especially if you're buying an expensive foundation and there's no return/exchange policy in your country!

Foundation's main job is to even out your skin all over so you need less concealing. You'll find you use less makeup and the overall effect looks fresher and more natural if you use concealer after.

Also, most foundations are more fluid in texture than concealers, and the higher amount of solvents and moisture in the formulas will dissolve and "smear off" any carefully-applied concealer underneath.

Lastly, don't confuse concealing for color correction. The only time you might apply certain concealing products under foundation would be if you are correcting color (e.g. general redness all over your cheeks, or darkness around your chin, etc). This is when you want the foundation to blend into and sheer out the product beneath, by applying over it.

My Tools:

I usually apply foundation with fingers or a damp (MAC Fix+) foundation brush, and if it's a thicker foundation that goes on slightly streaky, I'll finish by patting over my entire face with fingers to remove any streaks.

If I am using a thicker foundation, I might use a stIff buffing brush (MAC 130), which gives less coverage and blends better. But avoid this if your skin is red, sensitive or flaking.

The Right Coverage?

You should choose coverage depending on the issues you have in general.

Light coverage: If you have minimal unevenness on most of your skin, aside from spots

Medium coverage: If you have general unevenness or redness all over, aside from spots

Heavy coverage: If you have moderate to severe acne scarring and inflammation on large areas of your face. (Even so, I recommend using a lighter product on clearer areas of your face.)

Most people actually only need light to medium coverage. If you choose a heavyweight foundation, you end up with a mask-like and obvious layer of makeup, which seldom looks nice up close.

If you have pores and oiliess: matte textures tend to mask those textural issues better. Matte doesn't mean heavy. A lot of BB creams have a matte finish, and matte foundations like Lancôme's Mat Miracle, Maybelline SuperStay/Super Mineral, Revlon Colorstay Creme Makeup have medium coverage that can be sheered out to a light finish if you don't need much coverage.

If your issue is some dryness, fine lines and unevenness: Something like Givenchy's Teint Couture or Lancôme Teint Miracle, or moisturizing BB creams and tinted moisturizers would be perfect. They set to a satin finish so you retain a slight glow to the skin.

Step 3: Concealing

Now that you've more or less evened out your skin, you can go ahead and use your preferred concealer. I tend to prefer high-coverage products because you can use a lot less to get maximum effect, instead of layering and layering away. I used MAC Studiofinish Concealer in NW25 because it is a bit warmer (more pink) than my skin.

Trick: Correct red with yellow-toned concealers, and dark/bruised spots with orange/peach-toned concealers.

Avoid color-correcting with concealers that are too light for you. They wouldn't have enough pigmentation to neutralize blemishes on your skin, especially when those are very dark or very red. You end up with "grey patches" instead of a uniform skintone. 

I tend to prefer my fingers when it comes to concealing. Even for tiny spots, I'll dot it on with a small brush, and then tap it in with my fingers. You get a better blend more quickly, and the product melds with your skin better because of the heat and the texture of your fingertips.

Step 4: Highlighting/Illuminating (Optional)

For some people, evening out the skin with concealer is all they need.

But if you want a more "perfected" finish, you might want to illuminate certain areas of the face where it's the darkest. What this does is it preps those areas for powder, which has a tendency to darken over concealer anyway.

Tip: Gently pat, don't rub. This fuses the highlighting product into the deeper-colored opaque concealer beneath so everything melts into each other seamlessly.

Product used: Lancôme Teint Miracle Perfecting Concealer Pen. (Clinique and L'oreal both have versions that are really good as well.) I bought the famous YSL Touche Eclat for years, but I find the colors less natural for medium to dark skins yellow or olive skins, and the flash-back is HORRID in photographs. Many of the newer generation formulations are much better in terms of providing a bit more coverage, while not flashing back so badly.

  Step 5: Setting Powder (Less is More)

Setting powder is meant to take away shine and lock the concealer and foundation below in place. My personal preference is for it to look like you have naturally demi-matte, healthy skin. Not like you applied tons of powder. So less is more. 

I don't use a big fluffy brush or a puff and glob on lots of product before trying to dust the excess off. It never really looks natural when you do it that way. Always use a minimal amount and build up where needed.

Tool:

This is a strange one, but I actually use a large eyeshadow buffing brush (MAC 227) to apply my setting powder. I press it into powder, tap off excess and then pat-pat-pat it lightly over my skin in sections almost like it were a sponge.

Color choice is also important. I prefer translucent powders that don't add coverage because pigmented powders can grab on concealer and foundation and darken. They can also oxidise. If you need some extra coverage in areas, see the "Extra Tip" below.

Also, be careful because a lot of powders that claim to be "transparent" will still leave a white cast on the skin when over-applied.

Product used: Make Up For Ever Super Matte Loose Powder #12

Extra Tip: If I have a raised bump to conceal, I'll often follow by using a small pencil brush to dab-dab-dab a full-coverage mineral powder concealer or powder foundation over the spots where it is needed, AFTER setting all over with translucent powder.

Tip: If you have red areas, try a yellow powder on those areas, like Clinique's Anti-Redness Solutions Powder. It not only sooths, but also visually corrects a little of the redness.

Step 6: Blush

I like angled blusher/contour brushes for this (Sonia Kashuk angled blush brush), or a smaller domed brush like the Sigma F35. When in doubt, go smaller and softer, because this allows you to be more precise with your placement and to slowly build up the color.

I apply my blush high, right along the cheekbones, because it looks more natural then applying it below. To look more natural, always go for a soft and non-glittery shade. A slight sheen is ok, as long as the shiny particles are super fine and there aren't so many that you end up looking oily.

Product used: MAC Well Dressed

I don't tend to contour for my daily routine. I think it can easily look like too much, especially in the day time.

And there you have it!

Final Tips on Touching Up

I don't like using regular sponges or puffs to touch up in the middle of the day. It gives way too much coverage and looks powdery and unnatural. If you can, bring a retractable brush (make sure you wash it every few days), or one of those neat little dual-side sponges from Sephora where there's a side that's textured to give lighter coverage.

Always pat. Don't buff/sweep. Even if you're using a brush.